Microadventures

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be an adventurer, exploring the world and leading exciting expeditions? Or maybe you have, but not since you were 10 or so?

For me, I still day-dream about dropping everything and setting off on a world trip. The fact is I don't think that's quite possible for me right now. OK, I know it's always possible, but with home commitments, jobs, etc, it's just not an easy choice right now.

So the closest I get to leading the life of an adventurer is keeping tracks on the activities of people like Keswick-based Bruce Duncan (just returned as the 3rd time winner of the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race in Chile - insane) and Alastair Humpfreys. Both keep me in awe of what the human being is capable of, and Alastair's most recent ideas bring adventure much closer to home.

Alastair is an adventurer, blogger, author, motivational speaker and photographer. He has a fantastic website and blog that features his latest expeditions and physical challenges that he has accomplished.

Alastair Humpfreys, Expedition Portatraits

Many of his expeditions are supported through motivational speaking at businesses and schools. The following snippets taken from his website highlight his skills:

'You do not need to fly to the other side of the planet to undertake an expedition. You do not need to be an elite athlete, expertly trained or rich to have an adventure.

Adventure is only a state of mind.

I believe that adventure is about stretching yourself: mentally, physically or culturally. It is about doing what you do not normally do, pushing yourself hard and doing it to the best of your ability.

If that is true, then adventure is all around us, at all times. Adventure is accessible to normal people, in normal places, in short segments of time and without having to spend much money.'

Alastair Humpfreys, New Year in the Lake District

A fascinating report commissioned by GO Outdoors, outdoor retailer, (See FreshAirFix) revealed that whilst three quarters of us like the outdoors, huge numbers have never tried simple outdoor activities such as standing on a mountain (40%), or swimming in natural water (41%).

85% of the UK landscape is fresh green fields, lakes and beautiful mountains, but in the last year over a quarter of us haven’t had fresh air in our lungs and a fifth haven’t even walked on a natural surface.

Microadventures
These alarming figures have inspired Alastair to come up with the idea of microadventures. A concept that encourages simple expeditions and challenges that are close to home, affordable and easy to organise. Ideas designed to encourage ordinary people to get out there and do stuff for themselves.

So, has this inspired you to embark on a microadventure of your own?

This weekend I am going to cycle from my place in North West London over to my sisters in South East London. I know, it's wild and crazy! Well, you've got to start somewhere ...

I might just spice it up a bit by doing no preparation whatsoever.

Our Best Sellers

The phone lines have been red hot ever since last Monday night's appearance on ITV's The Lakes.

Not just from interested viewers, retailers and the press, but also from all the friends who starred on the show. Guess what, they're keen to know which bag has come out on top this week ... A good bit of rivalry never did anyone any harm.

And it's been a close call.

First out of the blocks was Dave the Rucksack selling so fast it was out of stock before the end of the evening, closely followed by Matthew the Daypack.  Luckily we were able to bring in some back-up stock for Dave swiftly, to avoid spoling his chances.

After Mark's bragging on the silver screen about being the best seller last year, he wasn't too chuffed to hear he was being pipped to the post. As if he'd personally been rallying the troops, Mark the Field Bag slowly picked up momentum and is now nearly level-pegging with Dave.

This could end up very messy. Two rams in a field.

Joking apart, we were pleasantly surprised with the final programme on Monday. It gave an excellent overview of our inspiration behind Millican - the Lakeland landscape, Millican Dalton and our friends.

The first appearance was the main man himself, Millican Dalton, followed by us visiting the cave, and being around our house, the surrounding fields and the lake nearby.

Next came the true stars of the show, our friends.

First up was Matthew, modern day Millican and author of MD's biography, at the Cumberland Show. Since then, Matthew the Daypack has formally left the building and is now out of stock for the next 7-10 days.

Mark nonchalantly lounging in front of his great shop, Keswick Collectables, was a picture to behold and the crew really captured the essence of the shop and Mark's passion - vinyl.

Les looked rather relaxed at his Greystones B&B in full lycra (cycling) gear and got a laugh when he mentioned he would've preferred his Les the Cooler Bag to be full of beer when first delivered to his door.

And then there was Dave. Proud Cumbrian farmer, great mate and namesake to the very first bag we designed, Dave the Rucksack. Quietly confident his bag would soon overtake Mark.

Now, there's a lot more to Dave and Burns Farm than meets the eye, and certainly than ITV managed to show on Monday.

Along with his family, the Lambs run the renowned Burn's Farm Campsite just outside of Keswick, in beautiful St John's-in-the-Vale. The campsite greets you to 360 degrees views of stunning Lakeland scenery, including Blencathra, Skiddaw and secluded Tewet Tarn (below).

We've spent many a summer evening camping up there with our friends, so Dave and Linda could join us after hours. A BBQ, a flock of kids kicking a ball around and watching the sun go down with some beers and wine chilling in a bucket.

What always strikes us is that working both the farming and the camping cycle is more than a handful. It certainly gives "hard work" quite a different meaning ....

We'll keep you posted on the ongoing battle between Dave, Mark, Les, Matthew and the rest.

This is not over yet.

Millican on TV

Who knows where a blog can take you?

I'd written a short post about the first ITV series of The Lakes, way back in early 2010. The post finished with a musing about the possibility of a future TV series featuring "a couple running a local company and their steamy love affair with vintage bags".

Be careful what you ask for.

Later that summer, the series' editor called us out of the blue.  She'd read our blog and was looking for interesting stories in the Northern Lakes to feature in 2011.

So it is that next Monday, 21st February at 8pm on ITV1, you can catch a glimpse of Nicky and I in and around our home, along with some of our friends - Mark, Les and Dave. Of course, we couldn't talk about Millican without mentioning Vera, who was filmed in her garden shed handfinishing an order of Les the Cooler Bags for innovative kitchenware specialist Lakeland.

A few days of filming mushroomed into many more, with our production team Kylie and Suzie following our summer antics with Millican.

In rain (mainly) and sun, the cameras shared our every moment, checking the new product samples, on our stand at The Cumberland Show, lugging the huge bales of Herdwick wool to Vera's, and on my trusty 1947 Raleigh Clubman Millican bike, cycling the Tour de Staveley with Harry and Les.

We dragged the crew over to Millican's cave, where we pondered on our "journey so far" trying not to flinch when the midges descended en masse - scratching and itching on screen isn't a good look.

Hours and hours, over weeks of filming condensed into less than 7 minutes - amazing.

We'll be gathered round our small TV set here at Millican HQ on Monday.  With Vera and our friends, armed with a few beers to soften the blow.

Join us on Monday evening - just don't blink.

The Home of Millican

I have been rather lucky of late to be able to find the time to get a few weekends out of the city.

We all know that the first few months of the year can be the most difficult. So when Jorrit and Nicky invited me and Bex up to the Lakes for the weekend I was hardly going to refuse.

With Stewart packed to the brim with all my essentials, we caught the 6.30pm train from Euston, arriving in Penrith just over three hours later. All in all it was a good journey, apart from a power cut at the station leaving a lady locked in the toilet for 20 minutes.

We descended on Keswick just in time for a drink before last orders. Our stay was at Bar 26, superbly located right in the centre of Keswick just off the market square, close to the stunning lake Derwent Water. Aware of a cram packed weekend ahead, we thought it best to stick to a just a few drinks and get an early night.

Saturday morning, the sky was blue and after a true lakeland breakfast at Bar 26 (which comes highly recommended) we made our way to our first stop, the home of Mark.

Mark runs a small shop in the centre of town named Keswick Collectables.


Bex was in her element - antiques, vintage bits and pieces and Mark's vast array of vinyl is really quite something.


After a stroll round the Market Square brimming with local stalls on Saturdays, we took a trip down Borrowdale Valley to Yew Tree Farm for a spot of lunch. As well as a very cosey B&B and delightful cafe, Joe and Hazel's farm is the source of Herdwick sheep wool for Millican's cooler and protective products Les, Joe and Derek.

Herdwick sheep have a distinctive thick grey fleece well adapted to the harsh Lake District environment. If it sees them through harsh winters on the fells I think it will serve our bags and accessories pretty well.





Fed and watered with Herdwick Pasties and pints of tea, we set off on the picturesque walk to the actual home of our namesake and "self-styled Professor of Adventure" Millican Dalton. Moving from London to Cumbria in the early 1900s, he traded a flat in London for a cave in Borrowdale Valley. Don't think I'm quite ready for that, however the surroundings are quite spectacular.





A fantastic day all round was topped off that evening with a meal at the Dog and Gun, Keswick. A bustling and friendly town pub with a crackling fire, ales galore and a great collection of mountain photography.

If you ever go, you must have the goulash. And check out the coins stuffed in every nook and cranny in the slate walls and wooden fireplace to raise much needed funds for Keswick Mountain Rescue.
For now,

Rob

Timeless Crafts

Everything has been moving so fast in recent weeks, I have hardly had time to think.

It was probably a blessing that Nicky gave me a gentle reminder that Valentines Day is on Monday. I think my time may be better spent trying to book a restaurant or buy a present rather than write this blog post!

As I was scrolling the internet for potential gifts for Nicky, it was only a matter of time before my mind drifted to what she may have got me. This is usually a million miles away from what she has actually got me.

One of those options is a book I came across named The Dictionary of American Tools. The book is a terrific assembly of hand tools with more than 4500 images from catalogs, trade literature, and hand drawings. The tools are organised according to profession, tools used to create coaches, pianos, ships, and saddles and tools for fine trades such as bookbinding and watch repair. The perfect book to lose yourself in if you are as interested in the detail of Craft as I am.

I realize I need to get out more.

When it comes to the craft of bag making I have been called somewhat of a geek. As you probably know, we’re lucky enough to have Vera hand-finish Les, Derek and Joe here in Cumbria.

Vera has over 40 years of experience at Kangol and Pringle, it’s fair to say she knows a thing or two about sewing.

One company that documents the craft of bag making through beautiful photography is MAKR Carry Goods. It’s great to see the craftsmanship in such great detail from a company with a similar outlook to ourselves.

I have somewhat got off the point.

If you are still struggling for a gift for your Valentine, then you are probably too late! If you are looking for a way to make up though, you can’t go wrong with a Mark Field Bag or a Matt Moleskine Cover.

Alternatively, you can check out some mouth-watering recipes in craft-focused 101 Cook Books. It’s dug me out of a hole a few times. A personal favorite of mine is the Carrot Cake.

I wonder what Nicky might have got me this year though ...

Araf!

Surely not. It's 6.30am on a Saturday and I am already up, showered and dressed to fight the elements.

I have to keep reminding myself this is not a week day, it's the weekend. And not just any weekend. It's one I have had planned for a while, one that sees me off to the Welsh valleys, riding the Marin Trail with some friends. It's been ages since I've had the chance to get out of the city, so I have been really looking forward to this one.

As my friends already know, I can't profess to be a die-hard mountain biker, crashing downhill at break-neck speeds. I do love my cycling though and the chance to get out in the great outdoors with my friends simply doesn't happen enough.

As we got closer and closer to Wales last Saturday, the weather was approaching levels of biblical nature. I've never seen anything like it!

Having taken several wrong turns (thanks Biff), we finally arrived at Gwydyr Forest in North Wales, albeit later than planned. Not being deterred by the heavy wind and rain, we embarked on the 25k Marin Trail. Most definitely not for the faint-hearted ...

We got off to a cracking start with Will managing to snap his chain within 15 meters. Luckily this was not a sign of things to come and five hours later we arrived back at the Swallow Falls hostel. All 12 of us absolutely shattered, soaked to the bone and ready for some well-deserved beers in Bewtys.

For those of you who are regular mountain bikers, you may feel I am being a little dramatic. However, for a guy who is used to riding a single speed on the streets of London, The Marin Trail felt like completing the L'Alpe d'Huez mountain stage in the Tour de France!
All this cycling will surely put me in good stead for Millican's Epping Ride.

The Epping Ride will start on Sunday 13 March, when Jorrit will take his 1947 Millican bike off the promotional display in Selfridges (Oxford Street, London) and ride it to Epping Forest, where Millican Dalton used to spend his winter months.

Several of the Millican Friends will join Jorrit to ride the bike home to Millican's cave in Borrowdale valley, just outside of Keswick in the Lake District. A 400 mile ride.

I might need to come up with an injury.

We'll post further info on the Epping Ride over the coming weeks, but if anyone likes to know more just drop me a line on rob@homeofmillican.com.

Stay healthy. Get out there.

PS - we are starting to use our Facebook page for more regular updates on all things Millican if you fancy joining.

Introducing Rob

Very soon we'll be looking back at our first few years and wonder how on earth we managed to do it all with just 2.5 of us (Sandra's already an amazing help).

Because Millican's just about to mushroom to 3.5 of us, with Rob joining us this week.


If Rob would have a tag cloud, it would include -

Bright-as-a-Button
Talented
Style
Up-for-Anything
Dedicated
Riding
Super-Conscientious
Cycling
Leopard-Skin-Stag-Do-Outfit
Football
Modern Man
Great-to-have-On-Board

Watch out for his contributions to our blog, Facebook page and anywhere else you'd expect to find Millican - in showground mud, cyberspace or the odd pop-up market near you.

Thanks for joining the Millican Adventure.